Hope is a Powerful Thing
by kribby
Summary: Faith Jackson heads to Colorado after helping close the Sunnydale hellmouth. Buffy goes with... and falls in luv wJack


Disclaimer: I own nothing not Sg-1, BTVS

Challenge 948 have  
-Faith and Daniel Jackson as cousins  
-one or more of the following pairings  
--Buffy/Daniel Willow/Daniel Dawn/Jack clone Xander/Daniel Xander/Sam Faith/Jack Buffy/Spike Willow/Tara Willow/Sam Sam/Jack Giles/Sam Giles/Janet Buffy/Jack Willow/Jack Dawn/Andrew  
-Sg1 finds out about slayers but they dont find out for a while they have to gather clues and then confront them with the evidence (After that you can decide how much or how little Faith and Buffy tell them)  
-Spike didn't die at the end of the series  
- Up to you if Tara is dead or not  
-I would like it if you could somehow put Andrew in the story he gets on everyones nerves and it's funny  
-Now this is a big MUST. Buffy Willow Xander Dawn Spike Faith and Giles must all go to Colorado Springs.  
must not have  
-Kennedy i dont like her and if you want willow with a girl it's got to be Tara or Sam  
-Faith never went to prison and she cant be evil  
-No Angel and crew I like them but I don't think they would fit into this story

On there way to the Cleveland Hellmouth Faith Decides to take a detour to Colorado Springs, to let her cousin Daniel know that shes safe and Okay after what happened in sunnydale. Once there Faith Buffy and the rest of the scoobies notice the growing number of vampires and demons and decide to stick around for awhile.

"It's over". Faith looked towards the crater that used to be Sunnydale. She thought that it looked better this way. Even though she had never seen the Grand Canyon—Sunnydale now echoed that landscape. Considering the fact the Grand Canyon was one of the 7 wonders of the world, right, it seemed fitting that one of the unspoken wonders of the world would now forever mimic one of the spoken ones. It was really over! She could do anything she liked—within reason of course. Within reason.

Faith never really wanted to think about her past—her dark slayerness but it was always underneath her surface. Memories of what it meant to bathe in your own power and the destruction you had made. Memories of what it truly meant to live without reason. Faith turned to the people she wished she knew well. She turned to the people she had turned her back onto and had only just recently decided to toss her lot in with again. She looked at Buffy, at Willow, at Xander, at Giles, at Dawn, at Andrew, and at all the newly activated Slayers. She didn't want to break the moment but pausing to think and meditate on the moment had never been one of her desires. It was sensible to sit shell-shocked after a battle but winning a war meant leaving the scene. Maybe she was a little too old for celebrating by gyrating in an anonymous mans arms—but she was too hardworn to sit and ruminate on loss. Leaving the moment and the place behind was all that mattered. They had survived. Survived.

"Hey B, we gotta get our asses otta' here. Look over at the crater. It's just dust, and blood, and destruction. It's not us anymore".

Faith saw Buffy look at her. Faith wondered what Buffy saw. She knew Buffy didn't see her as the spoiled child lashing at big sister for just being big sister. Faith hoped Buffy saw her as a worthy sister. God knows she had worked for her redemption. Faith closed her eyes, not wanting to see any rejection in Buffy's eyes. She swallowed her sigh not hearing Buffy moving towards her but feeling the moment when Buffy's arms wrapped her body in love.

She felt it for the first time in a decade. Love. Family. Love. All she could say was the word, "thanks". Faith opened her eyes as Buffy released her and stepped back. She saw Buffy's face. She looked puzzled—with one eyebrow half-raised.

"Thanks for what?"

"For treating me like I was worthy."

Buffy closed her eyes and as Faith looked she saw a cloud of a pained look pass over Buffy's face and the words she would never have expected.

"Faith we were just kids—fighting a war. We didn't know who to trust. What side to be on? The Mayor's side might have looked like the right side in those moments… but it doesn't matter. We lived. We survived. There is no point in anything if we cannot forgive each other."

"Yeah" was the first word Faith had the emotion for. "We're really okay, aren't we?"

"Yeah"

Buffy and Faith began moving slowly back towards the bus. As Buffy tossed her right arm across Faith's shoulders she could feel Faith's body tense and then relax. They really were okay.

"Faith, I feel like we should go to Disney Land or something".

"You know, that wouldn't be a bad idea—'cept I'm still wanted and I doubt we have that much gas…"

"I bet we can get Willow to do something about that police file- or even Riley…" Buffy felt Faith's whole body tense up. A year ago she wouldn't have cared how anyone felt. She would have just shrugged it off but now she just couldn't.

"Forgiveness, Faith. Forgiveness. It's real. We are okay. Riley is forgotten." Faith relaxed again.

They reached the bus slumping their bodies in a lean against the side of it. Buffy's body was slanted with the back of her head against the word Sunny and Faith's body was turned to the side, her shoulder leaning against the word High of the words, "Sunnydale High School".

She looked at Buffy's face. She said something she had never said to any of the scoobies before… "You know my last name is Jackson. I've got a cousin in Colorado. I need to let him know I am still okay. You wanna come?"

"Yeah"


End file.
